


how do you feel about dogs

by gatorghost



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: F/F, Werewolf AU, good shit, trans headcanons, white day fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-13 20:38:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3395558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatorghost/pseuds/gatorghost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>damn those celestial bodies and their shitty timing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	how do you feel about dogs

**Author's Note:**

> hey its gator again and im very upset about the lack of touriko aus. so i wrote the first thing that came to mind: furry trash
> 
> some notes about this verse: it doesnt parallel completely with tg, werewolves dont need to eat people or anything ok, werewolves are less like a nationally-recognized problem and more like an urban legend, hence the ccg equivalent in this au (werewolf hunters) arent that big of a deal :U
> 
> also: i hc touka as a trans girl so that makes a small appearance hell yeah!
> 
> its a bit too early for a white day fic but eh, its used more of as plot device here than a theme

Touka can’t stand White Day. All the capital-driven, overdone bullshit appals her. She hates having to accept gifts from people who don’t understand her feelings about the holiday.

There’s also the fact that chocolate makes her horribly ill.

Which is why Touka’s co-workers with similar dietary restrictions feel no obligation to give her any confectionaries on this day. Touka doubts Nishiki would regardless of their shared predicament, anyway.

But then there’s her girlfriend, who had insisted on exchanging gifts and spending time together the coming March 14th. Due to conflicting schedules, they don’t have many extended periods of time to spend together, so they try to take advantage of holidays as much as possible.

Touka can _probably_ put up with the frivolity for the sake of her girlfriend, if not for one detail: the detail that she never fails to mark on her calendar every month. For this variable is the reason she gets urges to run around with her friends at night, bark at people riding bikes, and maul livestock – which are pretty difficult itches to scratch while living in a city.

To remedy this, Touka and her gang have taken occasional road trips to the nearest available countryside, and that’s always more satisfying than she’d like to admit. Presently, however, she’s got plans this full moon. And Touka’s company isn’t yet aware of her…canine tendencies.

Hence why Touka has spent the workday struggling to control her nervous energy. She has to admit, she’s chewed out her coworkers – particularly Kaneki – more times than what was probably necessary that day. She wishes she had something to gnaw on.

_Damn those celestial bodies and their shitty timing._

Touka is aggressively scrubbing at the dishes left in the sink, _damn them, damn them all to hell,_ when a presence approaches: Kaneki has apparently gotten over their earlier spats as he slides up to Touka’s dishwashing station during a lull in customers.

“Hey,” Kaneki says.

“Nhhgg,” Touka grunts.

“Uh, any plans for tonight, Touka-chan?”

“A date with Yoriko.”

“Oh…so, you’re not going to be with the pack tonight?”

“Gah, I’ve told you not to call it that,” Touka hisses, “That sounds ridiculous.”

Kaneki just shrugs at Touka’s scolding, but feels he needs to comment on the obvious:

“But you haven’t told her you’re a, a werewolf yet, right?”

Touka is about to snap at him for poking his nose into other people’s business, when Nishiki chimes in. Even better.

“Pff, I’m sure Yoriko’ll think having her girlfriend turn into a giant-ass dog is a romantic way to spend White Day. Real smooth, Touka,” he sneers.

Touka drops the dish she was washing in the empty sink, holding her soapy hands in the air, the loud metallic crash making the offending party flinch, “I GET IT you two, I _will_ tell her, just get off my case, it’ll be fine.” Like Touka needs _them_ to remind her of how waiting until the last minute to inform her girlfriend about her dilemma has backfired completely. Really, after countless school projects done the day before they were due, she should have confronted her issues with procrastination already.

Kaneki is giving her this look that says _‘aren’t you afraid she’ll tell the werewolf hunters?’_ – So she fixes him with a stare right back: proud, determined, and ready to accept whatever verdict her partner comes to.

~

By the time she gets off work to see her girlfriend, Touka’s determination has fizzled out, leaving only a horrible mess of nerves behind.

Touka changes out of her work uniform and into clothes she totally didn’t spend hours picking out for this occasion, nope, and Yoriko waves her over to sit down at one of Antieku’s tables for two. The buzz of a busy café prickling in Touka’s ears isn’t helping to ease her tension.

Yoriko greets her with a cheery smile and a peck on the lips, then launches into her gift-giving spiel before Touka’s barley gotten herself situated in her chair:

“Happy White Day, Touka!!” she says, voice breathless with excitement, “I was goingto bake you something, but I know you don’t really care for sweets, so I didn’t know what to do, you know? But thenI saw this, and I was all ‘oh my gosh, it’s perfect!’ I hope you like it.”

Even with how overwhelmed she’s feeling, Touka takes the giftbox from her girlfriend’s outstretched hands with a genuine smile – Yoriko’s giving spirit will always make Touka swell with pride to have someone so incredibly generous be her’s.

Touka shoves away the thought of losing Yoriko after the coming revelation. She can worry about that after she gets Yoriko to stop demanding she “Open it, open it!”

“Okay, okay! Uh…” Touka delicately unravels the lacy pink ribbon adorning the box – she’ll save the pretty thing for Hinami to use in her arts and crafts – and sets aside the lid of the gift. Nestled inside ample amounts of red tissue paper, is something soft and white.

“Oh, wow,” Touka gasps – the rabbit she takes out of the box is very well-made, velvety and with a large blue heart adorning it’s chest. Touka loves it. She’ll have to put it somewhere safe, she thinks, as most of her favourite stuffed animals tend to get slobbery.

“Do you like it?” Yoriko asks, tilting forward in her seat.

“Yeah! It’s really cute, I love it. This is…really sweet of you, Yoriko. Thanks.”

Touka may not know how to fully express her gratitude, but she sure can give her girlfriend sappy looks that completely convey her affections. “Hey, open mine now!”

With that, Yoriko complies, smirking childishly at being given her present. She admires the obviously hand-made decorations on it, very obviously done with Hinami’s assistance.

Touka begins to fluster, “Er, I know It’s not going to be as good as yours, or somebody else’s, but, I tried…” (And how she tried – resisting the tantalizing aromas from baking the sugar-coated poison had been agony.)

The lid comes off. “Oooh, these must be hand-made too!” A chocolate is popped into Yoriko’s mouth before Touka can say anything else – “Mmmf, these are pretty good! Ehehe, I can’t believe you made chocolate for me, _you’re_ the one who’s sweet now!”

Touka fidgets, pleased with complements but unsure of how to appropriately respond in a way that doesn’t involve licking Yoriko’s face. Yoriko doesn’t miss a beat, (though with luck she doesn’t pick up on the internal conflict about the face-licking,) “Oh my gosh, _yes_ , today is the day I get to spoil you with attention. _Who’s a sweet giiiirl? Iiiit’s Touka-chan!!_ ”

Or maybe Yoriko is more perceptive then she seems.

Touka’s forehead meets the tabletop as Yoriko cackles, unaware of her girlfriend’s turmoil.

~

The rest of the day consists of a walk through the park (during which, every dog they passed absolutely needed to say hello to Touka, much to Yoriko’s amusement) and an early dinner (a savoury dish filled with veggies for Yoriko, something meaty and deep-fried for Touka).

Thus far, Touka has failed to inform her girlfriend that come nighttime, she’ll be shapeshifting into a wolfperson.

After an afternoon of Yoriko side-eyeing Touka’s jittery aura, Touka accepts that she’s fucked up her timing too horrendously to go through with her confession. If she can just gently turn Yoriko and the rest of the evening she’s planned down, then Touka can avoid –

Yoriko wraps her arms around Touka’s waist as they start walking away from the restaurant, the pleasant warmth cutting off Touka’s thought process. “Toukaaa, how about we just head back to my place and watch some movies? I think you need to relax,” she pecks Touka on the cheek.

There’s no way Touka can refuse.

~

Arriving at the small apartment shortly after – good thing too, _it’s getting late_ – there’s a short interlude where Touka changes into more comfortable, looser clothing. There’s always a large hoodie and a pair of sweats she keeps at Yoriko’s.

The first couple of times Touka had done this, in the beginning stages of their friendship, she felt the all-too-familiar dread at being seen dressed so casually, so defenseless, and altogether vulnerable. With too-wide shoulders drawn in and arms crossed over her chest, she had tried to make herself smaller, more befitting of Yoriko –

Only to be met with love and assurance, every time Touka needed it.

Which gives Touka hope for this new hurdle to leap in her relationship.

After changing, Yoriko promptly situates herself and her partner on her marginally uncomfortable couch, getting Touka huddled in her arms. It’s getting dark outside, and Yoriko caressing the hair behind Touka’s ears _really_ isn’t helping Touka refrain from turning into a giant black dog. _Damn her._

_It’s now or never._

“Hey, Yoriko?”

“Mm?”

“I had a really nice time today. Thanks.”

“I did too! I wish we had time to do stuff like this more often,” Yoriko harrumphs, holding Touka a bit more snugly.

“Thing is, there’s something I have to tell you about,” Touka blurts. What a smooth transition.

“Oh, okay?”

Touka inhales, time is of the essence now, she prepares herself for the inevitable –

“So, uh, how do you feel about…dogs?”

“…Dogs are really cute? I don’t think I’d be able to keep one in my apartment, though…”

Touka can’t see Yoriko’s face, but she can sense that her apprehension has caught Yoriko off guard. “Uh, well, I mean, your apartment is pretty comfortable, I wouldn’t mind it – what I’m getting at, is, well…”

Yoriko nudges Touka’s shoulder, turning her around so they can look at each other, eye-to-eye.

“I’m a werewolf.”

“Oh.”

Then Yoriko blinks, her eyebrows becoming scrunched up as she rephrases her answer: “Wait, what?”

“If you have any questions, or, just want me to leave,” Touka babbles, “I have a bit of time before I turn, probably. I mean! It’s not like I’ll hurt you or anything when I do! It’s just…Yeah.” It’s just that her thought process becomes slower, less human, and she’s incapable of speaking coherent Japanese, or any other language that isn’t normally spoken in barks and howls.

Here it is, the moment of truth, and it couldn’t be any more awkward – Touka has extracted herself from the arms of Yoriko, who is currently blinking at her girlfriend in confusion. She’s unsure of how to respond, brain going through cycles of disbelief, followed by the knowledge that Touka wouldn’t make a joke like this. A cheesey romcom Yoriko had put on plays in the background, intruding on their otherwise hushed trance.

“You’re not teasing me, are you, Touka?”

“No, I swear! I would’ve told you earlier but…” Touka gives Yoriko a crooked grin that feels more like a wince, hoping it conveys the rest of her sentiments: that she’s not one to risk altering the already-satisfying life she leads, preferring to twiddle her thumbs and avoid confrontation whenever possible. She’ll be the first one to push her friends into addressing their own problems, but when it comes to doing things for herself…

“So those rumours are for real? And this is going to happen to you, like, right now?”

Touka nods, swallows. Yoriko continues with her befuddled staring.

“Uh…so?” Touka prompts.

“So?” Yoriko parrots, before she realizes what’s been asked of her. The dog question, right. “Oh, well, sure, dogs are fine with me. You said I won’t get hurt, right?” Touka nods enthusiastically, so Yoriko gives her a dazed nod back, “OK then…I’m not really believing this until I see it, you know!” she adds the last part in jest, attempting to lighten the mood, but the statement is perfectly reasonable.

“Uh, yeah, about that…” Touka feels volatile, her nerves prickling, bones creaking and shifting – “just...give me a second.”

~

Yoriko feels like she hasn’t blinked for an entire lifetime, all the staring she’s doing. However, her girlfriend – of what? 5 months? And best friend of how many years? – has just morphed into a slightly humanoid dogcreature right before her eyes. It barley took seconds, a smooth transition from human to not. Yoriko feels justified in her gawking.

The mythical being on her couch shuffles around to accommodate a bulkier body and digitigrade legs, then turns around to stare back with red, mysterious eyes.

This is Touka. This is her girlfriend.

“ _OooOoooh my gosh,”_ Yoriko whispers in hushed incredulity. So the ‘Werewolf Hunters’ that occasionally get on TV really are onto something. Unsure of what to do, Yoriko gives Touka a small wave ‘hello’, and Touka blinks slowly back in recognition.Touka is still wearing the oversized hoodie, and there’s a ridiculous snaggletooth peeking out from under her jowls, but she still appears ethereal to Yoriko.

So not much is different between them, then.

Feeling bold enough to scooch closer, Yoriko reaches out to touch the thick fur of her girlfriend’s neck, runs her fingers through it. Touka lowers her heavy head and closes her eyes. Everything is surreal.

_This is pretty incredible,_ Yoriko thinks, once she’s gathered herself and has a moment to admire the expanse of silky navy-black under her palms. Who knew such things really existed, how extraordinary that she gets to experience the presence of one. In the same universe where her ordinary life goes on without any surprises, things like this also exist in such close proximity to her.  

She’ll have Touka answer all her questions later – right now, her girlfriend’s head has sank into Yoriko’s lap, flipping onto her side so hefty paws hang off the suddenly too-small couch. _Oh no that’s cute. Still kinda weird but cute._ Yoriko is bursting with equal parts amazement and fondness.

“Hey, Touka-chan?”

A deep _“Bwoof,”_ resounds from the head in her lap.

Yoriko tenderly whispers into pointed ears, “…Whooo’s a good girl? Touka-chan iiis~” she plants a kiss on Touka’s forehead as she squirms underneath the affectionate teasing. Yoriko giggles, scratching more heartily into the mane of dark fur.

Touka exhales a heavy sigh, which can be interpreted as _oh my god, let me nap, Yoriko._

Yoriko’s chuckles subside and her petting returns to a leisurely pace. The worst of the surrealism has worn off in the face of their typical banter. She settles back onto the couch, warmth radiating from the pile of fur beside her, compensating for blankets.

Soon enough, Touka’s breathy snores fill the spaces between the noises of Yoriko’s romcom – which Yoriko is only half-watching, too absorbed in scrolling through homemade dog biscuit recipes on her phone.

_Most romantic White Day ever._

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this while sick and with only my dog to keep me company, i cannot be held accountable for my actions (typos, bad dog jokes, oocness, cultural inaccuracies, etc)
> 
> i still feel like shit actually, the only way to ease my suffering is for yall to come talk to me about touriko/werewolf au/etc on my fandom sideblog k -----> http://ghastlygator.tumblr.com/


End file.
